Christmas Shopping
by DinoDina
Summary: The team goes Christmas shopping. Janto. Oneshot. Happy holidays!


**A few days ago, I asked for some story suggestions on tumblr, and thatlastdanceofchances suggested Jack and Ianto Christmas shopping... I strayed from that a bit, but happy holidays!**

"There's nothing here," Tosh said, looking up from her PDA. "The Rift opened but nothing came through."

"Figures." Owen holstered his gun. "First it drags us out, then it can't even follow through."

Ianto echoed the sentiment.

It was Gwen that got the sour mood up when she grinned and gestured around. "I've been trying to get here for ages! I haven't even started my Christmas shopping—"

"Fucking aliens."

She waved at Owen to be quiet. "It figures that the Rift would eventually bring us to St. David's." She turned to Jack. "We can't even stay, can we? Aliens to catch and all that."

Ianto, who was looking over Tosh's shoulder at the week's Rift data and predictions, looked up. "I don't see why we can't stay, actually. It looks quiet and I'm sure you're not the only one behind on the shopping."

"I've barely started," Tosh confirmed.

"Then it's settled." Jack clapped his hands together. He watched as Gwen and Tosh came together to look at a map of the shopping center and Owen followed them with mild curiosity. "Ianto."

"Hmm?"

"We need new towels."

Ianto nodded. "And I want to get Rhiannon a nice platter, I know she was eyeing one the last time they came here. I've been thinking of what to get Tosh, Owen, and Gwen, too—"

"I have great ideas for them."

"I'm sure you do." Jack's gifts were always thoughtful, a bit ridiculous, and always over-the-top. "Shall we?"

They waved goodbye to Gwen as she watched Tosh placate a grumbling Owen; Ianto could tell she would get fed up by their pining and would be joining them in no time, so they had to get her present first.

Ianto took Jack's hand and went off to the stores. When they got back only an hour later, they carried several bags with their loot: towels, Rhiannon's platters and a vase that Ianto had picked for her on impulse, cookbooks for Rhys, and baking books, cookie cutters, cake tins, and new mixing bowls for Gwen.

The latter two were purely selfish gifts on Ianto's part. Rhys was a fantastic cook who liked to experiment; when the Harwood's staff grew tired of being constantly fed, the honor went to Torchwood. Gwen, on the other hand, was a terrible cook, but knew her way around an oven fantastically. Rhys would never be able to eat everything she made when she got into the spirit—which wasn't too often, given her work hours—and Torchwood was a willing recipient.

As soon as Jack and Ianto retraced their steps to get at more stores, Gwen desperately ran over to them. Tosh and Owen were still sniping half-heartedly back and forth, sometimes getting distracted to discuss some new tech or scientific achievement.

"It's all going over my head," she admitted to Jack and Ianto when they lead her away. "But Tosh has been crushing after Owen for years and he hasn't noticed! Not _seriously_. And Owen's been practically pulling her pigtails the whole time. It's so bloody frustrating."

"You got some shopping done, though," Ianto pointed out, gesturing to the bags in Gwen's hand.

"Rhys and my parents," she replied vaguely. She was carrying presents for Jack and Ianto, too, but she wasn't about to broadcast that in front of them.

"What'd you get him?" Jack asked.

"New shirts. We want to go out more next year. I got some new shoes, too. And I got him some of the nice knives they sell. You know the ones: sharp enough to hurt when you're just looking at them."

"Huh," Jack and Ianto said simultaneously; they exchanged a surprised look.

"Anyway," Gwen said quickly, "I was going to tell you about Andy. Andy Davidson—you remember him—I saw him getting all sorts of nerdy stuff. No offense, Ianto. Star Trek, X-Files stuff… all aliens. I think he's trying to get our attention."

"Or give us Christmas presents."

"That would be fun!" Jack grinned.

Gwen snorted as Ianto nodded. Of course he'd want sci-fi aliens. "Think we can get Owen an E.T. pin?"

Jack's face lit up with inspiration and he began listing increasingly ridiculous gift ideas, beginning with novelty toilet plungers—shaped like stereotypical aliens, of course—and ending with yachts with monogrammed Torchwood sails.

Ianto jumped in, and they traded barbs as Gwen thought that shopping with couples just wasn't her thing. Owen and Tosh, in between trying to drive her mad, had been trying to buy presents for each other. Surreptitious questions of "So what are your hobbies?" and "What's your favorite color?"—though Gwen knew they knew each other's answers—weren't exactly up to par with their usual interrogation techniques. Judging by the glances Jack and Ianto were sending each other, they, too, were trying to figure out gifts.

Maybe it hadn't been the best idea to go holiday shopping all together—how would they get presents for each other? She already had things for Jack and Ianto and she was sure that Jack and Ianto had bought things for them, too. They'd bought towels—because they were already domestic, no matter what they said and how Ianto resisted it after living through Serenity Plaza—but they needed to be separated to purchase actual gifts.

"Ianto," she cut across Jack, "I just remembered, Owen was buying a suit. I think he mentioned one of the big department stores?" The speed with which Ianto took off to correct that mistake rivaled Jack's when he was driving. "Speaking of suits," she said to Jack before he could follow, "what were you thinking of getting him?"

"I have the perfect idea." Jack lit up. "I just need Ianto to do some shopping on his own for a while. Can you get him tea or something to kill some time while I get it?"

"Of course!"

Jack shoved his few bags at Gwen and took off not quite at a run but fast enough that passerby jumped out of his way.

If Jack's romantic gifts were anything like his normal gifts, Ianto was in for a treat. Last year, he'd gotten Gwen a getaway spa treatment, two baking classes at the top patisserie in Cardiff, and a police-themed roleplay outfit. There'd been a hideous Christmas jumper in the mix, as well, given to her several days before the holiday so she could wear it while opening presents. It had been adorned by a reindeer covered in hearts and flowers. The reindeer had also been carrying a gun labelled with the Torchwood "T"—it might have been made to represent Gwen herself.

As wonderful as it was to see Jack and Ianto get ready for their first Christmas together, Gwen had little desire to hold their towels. She turned and went in the direction Ianto had gone. With luck, she'd hand off the bags then find Tosh and take her to the new shoe outlet. They spent time together doing things other than shopping, of course, but how often did they get to try new things? They'd gone out for crepes once—and it had been their only uninterrupted evening—but usually just stayed in with a film and a nice dinner.

Tosh was the one that found her, however.

She gestured to Jack's bags. "What did you get?"

"Jack's towels—it's a long story."

"Right." Tosh decided not to pursue it. "Ianto fetched Owen for something, so I was able to get him a present."

"Ianto?"

"Owen." Tosh grinned. "I got Ianto's gift online about a week ago. Don't know if he'd going to want to keep it, but if not, Torchwood's going to acquire an Aston Martin. I got Owen some custom pins then, too, but I just picked him up cocktail supplies. And a handbook. You know he's always going on about 'good drinks'—but I saw that he looked up how to make drinks a while ago, so here I am."

Gwen was impressed. She didn't know how she was going to be able to compete—not that it was a competition at all, but she wanted to at least be able to save face—with _the car_, but that was why Tosh was a genius. Big and flashy wasn't Ianto's style until Bond came into the mix, and then all bets were off.

"I still need to get them presents," Gwen said.

"Any ideas?"

"Ties for Ianto. I know it's unimaginative, but you know he doesn't like rebuying them even though he loses at least one a week between Jack and aliens. I'm thinking five ties. And cufflinks if I can find any good ones." Gwen preened when Tosh smiled approvingly. "As for Owen… Remember about a month and a half ago when I nearly bled out on his couch? I'm going to get him a voucher for a new one."

Jack certainly paid enough for a new couch for Christmas to be perfectly reasonable. Tosh said so, at least, as they went off to do more shopping, for themselves as well as for their families.

They met Ianto and Owen on their way to rest with coffee and pastries. It had been two hours since Gwen and Tosh had headed off, and their labors had been fruitful. Owen and Ianto had a good haul with them as well, however their bags did not belong to any stores in the shopping center.

"Are those for Jack?" Tosh asked.

Ianto nodded. "I wen to a few small shops nearby."

"He went to a sex shop."

"Owen!" Gwen admonished. "I'm sure that's not true."

"I was there!" Owen cried, offended, as Ianto nodded and said, "It is."

Tosh stifled a laugh. Of anyone to head in that direction when it came to presents, she would have expected Jack.

"I also went to an antique shop," Ianto continued. He did not mention the stopwatch he bought there—among other, less trivial things—because that would have set Owen off again.

"And that one?" Gwen pointed to a larger plastic bag completely unlike the others.

"A do-it-yourself sewing kit. For the next time Jack wants me to sew a button onto his coat."

"Nice." Owen snorted.

"Thanks."

Trying not to bump into anyone, Ianto began juggling his bags to hide the gifts in the plastic bag before Jack showed up. He barely managed before Jack turned the corner, carrying his own suspicious purchases.

Ianto knew what kind of gifts Jack gave. Though his mock suggestion to buy a yacht had been excessive, it wasn't far from the truth. New cars, all expense paid weekend getaways, exclusive lessons and concerts… nothing was too much for Jack when it came to the people he cared about. It wasn't all about money, and Jack knew plenty of ways to show he cared without spending so much, but the gifts were practical—as far as practicality went: rest, comfort, and happiness were all rare in Torchwood. The least he could do was make up for lost time.

He shot Jack a look but didn't comment on the suspicious size of his bags: too small to be cars and private airplanes, too large to be generous checks.

"Very good. Tired?" Jack said instead of a greeting, looking around at his team's purchases approvingly and grinning. He didn't wait for an answer. "I've arranged dinner nearby. The waitlist is at least a month long—at least so close to Christmas—but the owner and I have a history. I helped them get used to Earth, they let me eat there on short notice. We can put the bags in the SUV and head there whenever we're ready."

"That actually sounds pretty great." Owen looked around, ignoring the surprise aimed at him for his sudden positivity. "Dinner on Jack at an exclusive Cardiff restaurant? What're you waiting for?"

"Not sure," Tosh said with a laugh.

That got Gwen going, as well, and Ianto, who knew what dinner with Jack entailed and was looking forward to it. They headed to the SUV—Ianto wasn't sure how they'd fit their loot inside, but maybe it was time to find out that the boot was bigger on the inside—and Gwen thrust the towels back at Jack as he attempted to grab Ianto's hand.

He laughed as he accepted the bag, which was then swiftly passed onto Ianto to go into the boot. After that, Ianto was chased away and everyone put in their own bags—they were filled with gifts, after all, and it wouldn't do for those secrets to get leaked early; Torchwood took its holiday shopping seriously.


End file.
